With less than 2 weeks to go before the UK General Election, we thought we should share this recent video of Dale Vince, Founder of Green Energy Suppliers Ecotricity, talking about his politic donations for the 2015 General Election, and greening up football…

Our Lets Get Energized and Dorset Energized team, predominentaly ran by volunteers, are obviously keen that we offer a non-biased political opinion, but of course green energy in the UK is so dependent on the decisions made by government that it would be silly to ignore politics altogether at such a time. I should point out that I myself have no political affiliations at all, so am just as ignorant to politics as most everyday members of the public!

It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that there is only one party fully committed to green energy issues as a key part of their agenda, and that is of course the Green Party, so it may come as a surprise to many renewable energy supporters (like it did to me) to learn that the Founder of Ecotricity has not donated to the Green Party, but to Labour AND also to the Liberal Democrats.

Ecotricity have however previously donated money to the Green Party, specifically Caroline Lucas’ campaign, and continue to do so via a partnership arrangement, where they donate up to £60 per sign up of any new green energy customer. This has apparently been hugely successful since the membership numbers have increased significantly.

Interviewed by Robert Llewellyn (Kryten from Red Dwarf!), Dale discusses the Green issues which he thinks need to get more air time in the election debate, his donations, and why he thinks there needs to be a leaders debate if we are to really tackle the environmental issues we face.

Soundbites include:

“The idea that we could run the whole country by renewable energy is not just a pipe dream, it’s absolutely possible”

“It seems to me that the Conservatives have made this a presidential election”

“A leaders debate would be the most useful thing for all of us in the country so we can make a better judgement about the qualities of the two people who are pitching to run the country”

“The conservative ideology is a failed ideology”

“We should have a ministry of carbon, whose job is to focus on the carbon emissions from energy, transport and food”

With twenty-five years experience in the oil industry worldwide, Charles Miller gives a brief outline of the Energy Crisis. He will then explains the problems with Fracking and safer and sustainable Energy solutions that other countries are choosing instead of Fracking, to protect their citizens and countryside and to keep energy bills from rising.

Cafe Scientifique: Fracked or Fiction? – 21st November

On November the 21st at 7.30 – there is a Cafe Scientifique event in Dorchester Arts Centre on the subject of Fracking:

Can the process of cracking rock underground lead to water contamination? Can fracking cause earthquakes? Could the wells that we drill to extract shale gas leak, and what can we learn from the history of drilling in the UK to date? Sam Almond from The Department of Earth Sciences, University of Durham leads the debate on the much-publicised and controversial topic of fracking.

Climate Change Deniers

So right wingers are calling for us to ditch the Climate Change Act entirely and to stop making progress on decarbonisation unless it is matched by other countries. Sounds good? Sounds reasonable? Well No and No in my opinion.

It’s easy to say let’s not bother, let’s just go for the cheapest quickest option and to hell with the longer term consequences but sticking our heads in the sand won’t make those consequences go away. All these arguments hinge on what is likely to happen regarding Climate Change. We are all sceptical about individual scientific results after so many false scare stories about food or vaccinations etc etc but there is something different about the work of the IPCC. It doesn’t just look at one set of data from one scientist it has been looking at thousands of sets of data from huge numbers of scientists on all sides of the debate and has been returning to the data at regular intervals to incorporate new findings. This iterative process means that it rules out the occasional rogue set of results or biased experimentation. We can rely on the trends that the IPCC reports regarding the likely outcomes.

What the IPCC is saying is that scientists are more and more certain that the effects of Climate Change are real, dangerous and being initiated by human actions that we are in a position to modify and that we should be doing so. Climate Change deniers are on a par with believers in a flat Earth. They just refuse to accept anything that isn’t immediately obvious from their exceptionally limited vantage point or that upsets their preconceived assumptions. They grasp desperately at any individual piece of work that casts the tiniest doubt on the consensus opinion like the measurements that show that the recorded temperature figures over the last 15 years or so haven’t risen appreciably. They ignore all the other data such as the diminishing ice levels in the polar regions, the increasing occurrence of severe or extreme weather conditions, the changing pattern of the jet stream or the changing behaviour of flora and fauna in response to the changes in the timings of season changes. They ignore any logical explanation of their pet data that might still be compatible with the consensus view such as the suggestion that the oceans are acting as more of a buffer to temperature rise than we expected which, whilst it buys us some time to make the changes we need, does not mean that Climate Change and global warming do not exist.

The right wing economists suggesting that we do away with the Climate Change Act are like people who would rather burn all the furniture in their house than go out and chop some firewood in the yard. It’s certainly easier in the short term but doesn’t make much sense when you want to be able to sit down or go to bed in the future or need to pay for replacements for all the stuff you have ruined.

Is it reasonable to say that we shouldn’t do anything until we can get everyone else to agree? I think not for two main reasons. Firstly it is a false claim by the Climate Change deniers that the likes of India, China and the US are doing nothing. They are making significant efforts with renewable energy and new technologies and we actually need to try harder to keep up if we are to remain a country that makes much of its wealth by technical innovation. Secondly it is true China and India are also increasing their use of non-sustainable technologies but only because their per capita wealth and consumption is so much less than ours and they would like a richer and more affluent population. We cannot reasonably say that we will not lead the way on sustainable technologies unless we first get our per capita carbon footprint down to the level of India or China’s which I would suggest we need to do by advancing sustainable tech not by making ourselves poor.

The other thing that is being said is that we need to ditch the Act and reject renewable`s because “The lights might go out!” Well firstly I would argue that it is the anti-renewable campaigns that are stopping us building the scale and quantity of renewable capacity that is the problem here and a quick temporary fix through some dash for gas is not the answer. Secondly there is this unwritten assumption that the lights going out is the end of the world. If there were to be some limited phased outages during the 8pm winter peaks of demand during a couple of winters over the next few years would this really matter so much that we need to tear up our plans for long term improvements in favour of short term measures that will push us ever closer to real catastrophe? So you miss your favourate soap on broadcast TV and have to go to bed early. Hospitals and other vital services now have much better stand by generation due in part to the green incentives favouring CHP plants and old people’s homes are better insulated than they were due to the ECO schemes so a couple of hours without power won’t see the temperature drop excessively and you can always watch the program on your computer tomorrow. It is only the politicians who have made this an election losing issue who might suffer particularly if this were to happen. Lastly what are they suggesting doing that could come on line before these suggested outages in 2016-2020? About all we could do is build a few OCGT power plants of the sort that the anti-renewable lobby say are undoing any good that wind turbines do do because of the intermittency of wind. If we want to do something now we should be pushing ahead with the energy saving side of the “green crap” to keep demand down to the levels we can reach and keep building the sustainable low carbon capacity that we will need in the next decade as we reach the 2020 targets and progress beyond them toward true sustainability.

Erik Blakeley comments:
"Anna has a point but unfortunately the news today is full of further calls by Owen Paterson to ditch the Climate Change Act because the National Grid is mildy concerned that there may be power cuts this winter. Ironically the final straws have been the ongoing problems with several of the nuclear power stations and the fire at Didcot gas powered station. Its hard to see what the logic is as no large scale centralized plant can be built between now and Jan 15 unless it is already under construction. There might be some fossil fuel capacity being underused but using it isn’t illegal it just means buying out a larger proportion of the ROCs so there is no need to scrap the Climate Change Act to get a short term fix like that. There might be time to build a bit more dispersed capacity which gives us a choice of fast tracking some solar and wind or building a few inefficient Open Cycle Gas units or internal combustion gas units both of which would be very polluting, expensive to run and would in all likelihood commit us to widespread fracking if we intend to use them as anything but a few months stopgap. There are people who are only interested in the easiest way to make more money. To some degree we all feel that way and that is why the cliche “Its the Economy Stupid” entered common usage. Short term the cheapest way of dealing with the problems we face are probably the dirtiest. This is why the question of climate change does matter. It is the reason why it is worth paying more for rapid decarbonisation now because it will save us much higher costs and loads of suffering in the future. The big tobacco firms spent ages casting doubt on the links between smoking and cancer and telling young smokers why give up something you enjoy now just because there might be a risk many years in the future and we cannot even be certain that there is a risk. They manipulated and bent the science until it was no sort of truth all in the name of profits. Climate Change deniers are doing the same thing now and they have the added advantage that many of the people with power and influence probably won’t live to see the worst results of climate change.
"
October 28, 2014 a 9:19 am

Anna Celeste comments:
"In a way I personally feel that it almost doesn’t matter whether people believe in climate change or not, or disagree about whether it is a natural phenomena or man-made or a bit of both – what matters is that we should all have the common sense to realise either way, we simply can not go on exhausting our planet of its natural resources like we are currently doing, there will be nothing left very soon, and we have to work in balance with nature which means harnessing energy sustainably i.e., from renewable energy sources – IF we cherish the earth, its animals, our people and the future of our own children and family that is. I think that is what matters and that it is worth fighting for : )
"
October 27, 2014 a 2:30 pm

Discounted electric bills if you live near a Wind Farm

This is probably the best use of the community benefit fund. My suggestion would be 80% discount for those living within 4 km and 50% discount for those living within the next band up to 8 km. I’d be interested to see how much this would cost in the case of the three proposed wind projects in Dorset. If this is of interest to the companies involved, we could do the calculations for them based on number of households and average Dorset electricity consumption. I suspect there would still be a lot of money left over in the community fund.

Ecotricity have got some good news: you may remember that last September we announced that we would be freezing our prices, over winter, until 1st April.

We’re now announcing a further price freeze, through the spring and summer, until 1st October 2014.

With this extended freeze, we won’t have increased prices for 21 months – meaning we’ll have the longest period of price stability in the energy industry. Our single electricity and gas tariffs are as stable as a fixed price deal, but without any strings – no exit fees, no penalties, and our best price for everyone, regardless of when they joined or how they choose to pay.

The other good news is that on Wednesday last week we reached 100,000 customers!

It’s a very big milestone, and one we’ve had in our sights for some time – nearly 50,000 people have joined us since last summer, which is quite incredible.

It all began last summer when we moved to a single 100% green tariff for electricity, reduced our prices slightly as part of a new policy to cost less than the Big Six, and then froze prices twice over the following winter.

Our two pieces of news are linked. With 100,000 customers we have some economies of scale and – coupled with it being a very good year for wind – we’re able to absorb those of our costs that are rising, and keep yours where they are. Our investment in new sources of green energy hasn’t just insulated us from fossil fuel price movements, because the cost of wind doesn’t go up – but when the wind blows well we have an additional benefit – which we’re keen to share with our customers.

People Power in Action

Our mission is to change where Britain’s energy comes from – to bring about energy independence and sustainability. The more customers we have, the more new sources of green energy we can build, the more we can protect our customers from price rises. It’s a virtuous circle, and it’s People Power in action.

Speaking of People Power, have a look at our latest short film about fracking – we’ve put this together to lend support to local communities opposed to shale gas fracking and to highlight the fact that many British households are inadvertently supporting shale gas through their energy bills.

You can switch to Ecotricity online at www.ecotricity.co.uk/dorset-energized or call us on 08000 302 302 and quote ‘Dorset Energized’ to receive a free £60 Naked Wines voucher to celebrate!

There is a strong line up of exhibitors who can advise on Solar PV, Biomass Heating, Thermal Heating, Energy Savings, Green Energy, Eco Design and Sustainable Planning.

We will have the new 100% electric Nissan LEAF car on show and an exciting range of new model Electric Bikes.

Renewable Energy companies will be outlining exciting new projects across Dorset.

Our aim is to demonstrate the opportunities for strong Community involvement in schemes to create local energy and reduce the cost of energy to people living nearby.

There will be a continuous Forum being lead by local Hydro Expert Keith Wheaton Green where we shall have leading speakers talking about a miriad of subjects with lots of time for questions from all our visitors.

We hope that this will be a great opportunity for the people of Dorchester and its surrounding areas to really engage with the opportunities that Renewable Energy offers both in reducing the burden of energy costs and making a contribution to the reduction in CO2 within Dorset.

Picture from Dorset Community Action by kind Permission of the Dorset Echo

Are you struggling to keep warm this winter? Are you unsure about how to switch your energy supplier?

You are not alone; as we reported yesterday its Cold Homes Week and shockingly last winter someone died of the cold every 6 minutes. Many people are finding the combination of rising fuel costs, low income and poorly-insulated rural housing, a real problem.

Dorset Community Action, with sponsorship from Magna Housing, is running another drop in session for you to come along and discuss your individual needs and concerns, and get some advice on how to keep warm and save some money. You can find out about how to switch energy supplier over a cup of tea and biscuits provided by the Co-op, and receive a free energy saving appliance provided by our friends at Dorset Energy Advice Centre. First Dorset Credit Union will also offer support and ideas for people suffering financial hardship.

Come along to:

Willowbed HallPutton LaneChickerellWeymouthDorset
DT3 4AJ

Pop in any time between 2pm to 6pm and spread the word to those that would benefit from this help and advice.

Tackling fuel poverty would mean warmer homes, improved health and lower carbon emissions. Investing in home energy efficiency improvements would also lower energy bills, so people can afford to heat their homes. It’s a no brainer.

Ask your MP to make UK homes super energy efficient

So far over 200 MPs have supported the campaign to make UK homes super energy efficient. Help them make it 400.

Dorset Community Action are holding a series of Fuel Poverty Workshops in January. The workshops will be held in Lyme Regis on the 14th and the 29th in Sherborne. The workshops are being supported by Dorset Energy Advice Centre and Magna Housing Association amongst others.

Ecotricity has announced a price freeze for all gas and electricity customers until the end of winter 2014.

The green energy company had previously announced a price freeze until the New Year just as the Big Six announced price increases of up to 10% – Ecotricity are now extending that price freeze until at least the end of winter for both their 100% Green Electricity and Green Gas tariffs.

Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder, said: “Energy bills are a big part of the cost of living in Britain, and there is simply not enough being done to solve the problem. The Big Six are increasing prices by up to 10% just before winter, the Government is playing politics by blaming ‘green taxes’, and the regulator has not been strong enough ever.

“If we continue the way we are now, we’re going to see energy bills increase significantly over the next decade – we could even see them double.

“There is another way – our model of using our customer energy bills to build new sources of green energy, what we call bills into mills; it’s working for our customers, and it’s a model we think is right for Britain. We’re not just making greener energy, we’re making cheaper energy – and we’re demonstrating how that works now by freezing prices until the end of winter.”

Ecotricity has reached a degree of energy independence by building its own green energy sources, and this enabled the company to announce a price promise in October 2013, to always undercut the standard regional tariff of the Big Six – providing green energy for less than the standard price of brown (fossil fuels).

Dale said: “We now produce around 40% of our own energy through our own green sources, and the more we build the better able we are to shield our customers from price hikes that come with a reliance on the fossil fuel market. That’s the way Britain has to go, because only energy independence can properly tackle rising fuel bills.

“The alternative is where we are now – a continuing reliance on fossil fuels, ever-increasing energy bills, and more people falling into fuel poverty every year.”

Ecotricity spends more per customer on building new sources of green energy than all other energy providers in Britain put together – on average, over the last nine years, this has equated to almost £300 per customer per year.

Ecotricity generates around 40% of its own electricity through green sources, and has planning permission for enough new sources of green energy to double that percentage.

Dale said: “The energy industry has to change. It needs to serve the people of Britain, not the largely foreign owners of the Big Six. Putting prices up at the start of this winter is a good example of what’s wrong: it’s cynical timing just as consumption doubles, and it’s just not justified by wholesale energy prices. In the end, it’s the people of Britain who are losing out.”

Ecotricity has an Ethical Price Promise, which means that every customer gets the same 100% Green Electricity or Green Gas tariff and everyone gets the same, best price, regardless of when they signed up or how they pay…

Excess Winter Deaths claimed an estimated 24,000 lives in England and Wales in 2011/12 and, although we do not fully understand all the reasons behind these figures, we know that some of them are caused by people living in cold homes.

Recent research by the Department of Climate Change has started to quantify the health benefits of installing energy efficiency measures in improving thermal comfort of homes. In a resource stretched environment unfortunately health issues often come down to basic cost/benefit analysis – and for that you require research and figures.

However initial research is very positive for energy efficiency measures impact on health. DECCs research has suggest that installing Cavity wall insulation has a financial benefit of £969 NPV (net present value) which, considering the average cost of this measure is generally about £500, indicates a good investment overall. Therefore saving money for public services which are providing healthcare.

Also an interesting new term for the author is ‘quality-adjusted life years’ – which is a measure used and defined by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) for assessing the benefits from new drugs. Essentially if a drug costs more than £20,000-£30,000 (which is apparently the quantified benefit of a ‘quality-adjusted life year) then it is not likely to be issued.

Whatever your views on these kind of measurements – with the movement of Public Health into Local Authorities there is potentially more scope to work with this agenda in promoting and undertaking energy efficiency measures to improve health outcomes.

Perhaps in the future we can all be asking our GP’s for prescriptions for loft insulation? Benefiting the planet as well as our own health and addressing a terrible statistic still occurring in our nation.

Save fuel, save money, save the environment. Draughts are responsible for up to 15% of heat loss in the home. The discomfort from cold draughts can make homes feel even colder. Transition Town Bridport are hosting two free workshops to help cut your bills this winter, demonstrating effective, low cost ways to save fuel and make your home more comfortable.

They will show you how to make thermal curtain liners without a sewing machine and how to draught-proof your home.

Both workshops will be held in the Chapel in the Garden, 13 East St, Bridport DT6 3JX.

Workshop 1 – Curtains10:00am Saturday 9th November 2013

How to make a pair of simple thermal liners to beef-up your existing curtains into cold stoppers. Also, how to turn duvet covers into curtains. You will receive free thermal lining material, which does not need hemming, for one of your windows. Please give us the dimensions of your window openings and existing curtains before the workshop.

The liners are made by ironing curtain tape on to the liner with hemming tape and then reinforcing the tape with a minimal number of stitches.

The tools you will need to make thermal liners at home are an iron, hemming tape and a needle and thread.

Workshop 2 – Draught-proofing 10:00am Saturday 16th November 2013

How to draught-proof your windows and doors using professional quality draught-proofing strips. Funding has enabled us to provide materials for the workshop and allow you to buy the materials at less than half the retail price.

The tools you will need to draught-proof your home are a pair of secateurs, a small hacksaw, a tape measure and a small hammer.

This winter millions of people have struggled to pay their energy bills. Cold homes are damaging the health of our most vulnerable citizens, including children and the elderly. Yet energy prices continue to go up – mostly due to the rising price of gas.

We need new ways to use, produce and above all save energy – and this means we need a change in the law. Now is the time to discuss this, as Parliament is debating these critical issues.

Join Oliver Letwin MP and Friends of the Earth’s Head of Campaigns Andrew Pendleton to debate these crucial issues here in Dorset.

According to the Carbon Action Network, new research released this week shows the UK suffers the worst fuel poverty in western Europe and comes bottom of a fuel poverty league table for western Europe.

The press release on the Report from the Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE) and the Energy Bill Revolution campaign, states:

Woeful levels of insulation in this country’s homes are sending energy bills through the roof for people in the UK, according to the figures from the Association for the Conservation for Energy and the Energy Bill Revolution campaign.

Although most other European countries face higher energy prices than those of the UK, better quality home insulation means our European neighbours pay less to heat their homes.

The heat leaking from the UK’s homes is condemning over five million households to fuel poverty this winter, and this number is predicted to rise to eight million within the next four years.

The ranking table giving the estimated share of households in energy poverty is as follows:

Dorset Energy Advice Centre (DEAC) and North Dorset District Council (NDDC) are working together to deliver a FREE half day session on Fuel Poverty next Monday 4th March 2013, 9:30am – 12:30pm in their Council Chamber at NDDC, Nordon, Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum, DT11 7LL .

With the advent of the Green Deal and rising energy prices not likely to get cheaper, this training will give attendees an excellent introduction to the definition of the term, the causes, and what can be done to mitigate it.

The training is opened to all individuals who volunteer or work for organisations and community groups who have an interest in this field.

The training covers the following topics and provides a resource pack including a fuel poverty checklist:

What is meant by fuel poverty

How it can come about

How to spot it

What help is available

If people are unable to attend this session, other training sessions are being held across Dorset:

RenewableUK, the trade and professional body representing the wind, wave and tidal energy industries, has welcomed a report last week by the Committee on Climate Change which shows that generating energy from renewable sources will keep British household fuel bills lower than relying on expensive fossil fuels such as gas.

The CCC’s report highlights the fact that increases in gas prices drove household bills up by 62% between 2004 and 2011. In comparison, support for the entire spectrum of low-carbon technologies, including renewables, led to an increase of less than 10% over the same period.

Looking ahead, the Committee warns of the risks of focussing investment on unabated gas-fired generation, which it says could push household bills £600 higher in 2050 compared to relying on low-carbon sources of electricity.

The Committee also states that support for the entire range of low-carbon technologies will increase domestic bills by around £100 by 2020 (a 10% increase on the 2011 bill) – far lower than figures quoted in some media reports.

Maria McCaffery, RenewableUK Chief Executive, said:“This report proves that the pound in your pocket is safer with renewables, rather than with gas. We know how much renewables cost, but gas has proved to be an extraordinarily volatile commodity. We must loosen its grip, for the sake of all of us hard-pressed bill payers, by switching to a more affordable mix of renewable sources. The Committee on Climate Change’s authoritative report is warning against a dash for gas. The Chancellor should take note of their expert opinion, rather than being swayed by a small minority of less well-informed voices.”

The report came on the day that the Energy Secretary, Edward Davey, announced that shale gas would not contribute to the UK’s energy mix for some time to come, and that what he described as the “seismic risks” brought by shale would be subject to new controls.

Mr Davey said: “We are still in the very early stages of shale gas exploration in the UK and it is likely to develop slowly. It is essential that its development should not come at the expense of local communities or the environment”.

In the meantime I highly recommend you switch your electricity and gas supply to Good Energy’s 100% renewable energy today. I have been with them for at least 10 years now and they offer a very competitive tariff plus you can save £50 off your first bill by simple quoting ‘Dorset Energized’. Switch to Good Energy here: http://www.letsgetenergized.co.uk/energy/switch-energy-suppliers

Places are limited to a total of 25 on a first come first served basis, so please contact me, Theresa McManus, at DEAC to book your place now: info@deac.co.uk / 0800 975 0166.

This training is kindly funded by Bournemouth LINks.
A Local Involvement Network (LINk) is a network of local people and groups who have joined forces to improve health and social care services by listening to people like you. They’re independent of the local council and the NHS and exist throughout England. There’s a LINk local to where you live. Register with LINks today to have your say: http://www.makesachange.org.uk

I have stumbled across this fantastic website and wanted to share it with you!

A green electricity company called EvoEnergy have produced an interactive site (designed by Epiphany Search) to show how energy in the UK has changed over the last 40 years.

In 1980 when I was just a baby, Solid Fuel accounted for 36% and Petrol 37% for primary energy consumed, with Gas 22% and Electricity making up just 5%. After 30 years as of 2010 Gas use alone has nearly doubled and has risen up to a staggering 43%. Good news is that Petrol has reduced slightly to 32% and we now use Biomass as a renewable energy but that currently accounts for only a pathetic 3%.

It is very interesting to see the changes over the years (decade by decade) but we have a LOT more work to do – by 2020 I hope we’ll see a major increase in electricity specifically generated by renewable energy sources (including Wood Energy (Biomass), Solar Energy and Wind Power) with very little reliance (if any!) on petrol and gas. I guess the only way that will happen though is for us, the people – yes that includes me, you and your family – to make changes today and start investing in renewable energy for our future. At least to stop using petrol we now have supercool electric cars like the Nissan LEAF (not quite the personal ‘hoverpacks’ my Dad wants to be able to fly around with, but we’re getting nearer!). And of course if you do just 1 thing, you can simply switch to a green energy supplier such as Good Energy and be more energy efficient by using less energy in your home – to save energy, save money and feel more secure.

Theresa comments:
"The Evoenergy interactive guide is great. It would be lovely to have something similar that could represent personal energy use so that people could model making changes to see what the impact would be.
I just wanted to add another suggestion for saving energy, which is to buy less stuff. Have a look at http://www.storyofstuff.org to see the story of stuff movie. It only takes 20 mins but it’s 20 mins of a roller coaster ride through the recent rise of consumerism – you will never look at a shop window in the same way again …:)
"
November 17, 2012 a 1:14 pm

Lets Get Energized with Renewable Energy!

Lets Get Energized is your online guide to renewable energy and sustainable living with the latest news, views and tips plus exclusive special offers to help you save energy and money, beat rising energy prices, combat climate change and be more self sufficient – right now, and for your future...